


Alter(native) Dancing

by TransPanda_1



Category: The Glass Scientists (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, Romantic Fluff, Swing Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 07:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18006218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransPanda_1/pseuds/TransPanda_1
Summary: Robert Lanyon wants to know if Edward Hyde can dance





	Alter(native) Dancing

“Here’s a curiosity for you.”

“What?”

“Can you and Henry even dance now?”

Robert Lanyon’s head laid in his hand as he stared at Edward Hyde. He tapped his finger against the assorted documents. Figuring out all this paperwork had made his mind start to wander, and where better to wander than the disgruntled blonde lying on the couch?

It was a hazy Sunday, stained a brilliant orange with the setting sun. Light rays leaked into the room, giving the corners harsh shadows. Henry Jekyll’s office was relaxing. Too relaxing for Hyde, though.

Robert Lanyon was a gentleman through and through, even as the co-founder to a society for rogue scientists. He just had the natural talent for it, even to the stuffy existence of true high society. Raised in it since birth, he had memorized every delicate motion and conversation pattern to follow when interacting with members of his class.

He was never a fan.

Robert had known Dr. Henry Jekyll since their university days, and he immediately knew that Henry was a man he wanted to be “social” with. Henry wanted to know absolutely everything about being a gentleman, and Robert was happy to oblige.

Happier than he could ever imagine, because this was when he fell in love with Henry.

Edward Hyde, Henry Jekyll’s alter both mentally and physically, was subdued to the prison of the sofa. It had been weeks since Jekyll’s soul splitting alchemy was found out, and Hyde’s connection to the doctor was made ever apparent. Nobody would’ve suspected the shorter, blonde, rude, and reckless young man working at The Society on night shift was none other than a fragment of Henry Jekyll himself.

Hyde didn’t take long to answer Robert’s question. “Nah.” He rolled over on the couch. 

But Robert couldn’t help but find him rather cute.

Robert smiled, leaning farther across the desk. “Oh, really now?” Being the timekeeper to Hyde’s newly implemented curfew was surprisingly entertaining.

Hyde responded with an impatient ass scratch, glancing up at the clock. “What’s got your knickers in a twist now?”

“Oh, nothing much…” Robert stretched, rising up from his chair. “I just couldn’t help but wonder how deep that split went.”

“Less than you’d think, apparently.” Hyde grunted, burying his face in a throw pillow.

Robert chuckled, brushing a hand past his dark, chubby cheeks. “Are you still a bit sore from everyone accepting you as a closeted gentleman, Mr. Hyde?”

“Ya **think?** ” He groaned. “Jekyll’s supposed to be the fake, yet everyone coddled him. Who the hell insisted someone as depraved as me was as innocent as a toddler?”

“That’d be Miss Rachel.” Robert crouched next to the sulking man. “Consistently.”

Hyde sunk into the pillow some more. His muffled voice somehow leaked out from the cushion. “Of course it was her. She’s convinced I’m a goody-two shoes like Jekyll.”

“Well, it’s not too unheard of…” Robert smiled.

Hyde’s head rose up from the cushioned quicksand pit. He scowled in disbelief. “…What are you getting at, rich boy?”

In reality, Robert had hopped onto the same boat. Not that it was always this way.

“Didn’t I already ask?” Robert held his hand out, grinning ear to ear. “I wanted to know if you both still knew how to dance.”

He knew how important being a gentleman to Henry was, so he never mentioned it, but he found Jekyll’s “flaws” innocently adorable. Through teaching Henry, Robert saw everything that was Henry Jekyll. His way of moving, his original accent, all the things that only he knew belonged to Henry. And if Robert taught him how to move, how to dress, and how to smooth talk around the rich, only he’d get to see the real Henry when they came back home.

But by far his favorite thing Robert taught Henry was dancing. Every second of that time was a dream come true. He wanted to watch Henry stumble over himself right in front of him for hours.

And Robert only knew one thing about Hyde. Edward Hyde only split into existence two years ago. Which means he already knew plenty of Hyde. And with that came one, small desire:

Robert Lanyon wanted to teach Hyde how to dance.

Hyde sneered at the thought. “HAhA! Are you serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious.” Robert winked.

“Well too bad, cause ya misunderstood me.” Hyde’s energy came back in the form of his beaming grin.

“Oh?” Robert replied.

“You asked if both me and the “good doctor” could dance.” Hyde rubbed his knuckle against his jacket. “Sorry Lanyon, you lost the coin flip. I’m the one who can dance.”

“Oh, really, hmm…” Robert frowned. He was so looking forward to teaching him…

Robert squinted, recalling the black rose ball Henry attended just one month ago. There was plenty of moments his eyes trailed Henry dancing with a woman he didn’t know. “…I don’t mean to be rude, Hyde, but--”

“Oh, please be rude.” Hyde playfully kicked his feet. “Let me see your bad side~.”

Robert snorted. “Right. I’m positive Henry can still dance, why is--”

“Cause he ain’t dancing, he’s walking with style.” Hyde retorted.

Robert blinked, standing up. “I’m sorry?”

“That isn’t dancing.”

“It most certainly is.”

“Mmm… really isn’t.” Hyde cleaned his ear with one finger.

“But it is.” Robert leaned forward, determined to be right.

Hyde’s grin only grew wider. “You think walking all prim and posh with someone makes it dancing?” His legs curled together like a spring.

“It’s so much more… intimate, than just “walking” with someone.” Robert’s mind trailed to the many proper dances he’s had with Henry. “Besides, what’s your definition of dancing, then?” Robert crossed his arms.

In not but an instant, Hyde leaped off the couch and onto Henry’s table.

“HoLY-!” Robert yelped watching the short man soar across the room.

Hyde swiveled around on the table, effortlessly grabbing his tophat and plopping it on his head. He crouched down to get back to Robert’s eye level.

“I’ll show you.” He said with a demonic grin.

“What are you--?” Before he could finish, Hyde had already leaped off and ran through the office’s door.

“Hyde!” Robert dashed through the door as well.

“ALRIGHT EVERYBODY!”

“Huh?” Robert blinked, stumbling out onto the balcony.

Edward Hyde was standing precariously on the railing, looking over the great hall to the Society. He was rolling up his black sleeves, and clacking his shoes against the wood a few times.

Several of the lodgers were downstairs, instinctively looking up to the disturbance.

“I know some of the things here in the lobby can make music, but hell if I know how to get them to work!”

Most of the lodgers nodded in agreement to Hyde’s lack of scientific prowess. Hyde didn’t seem to care, even if he was a lot better at handling science than he led on.

“What are you doing?” Robert tugged at his pant leg.

Hyde sneered, but didn’t reply back to him. He looked back to the lodgers. “…So?” He stretched his arms out wide. “I’m not hearing any music! It’d better be brassy as the folks down in East End! Ain’t I your boss!?”

“Only half of him!” A Dr. Helsby cried out, making some of the lodgers snicker.

“He’s got you there, I suppose.” Robert chuckled.

Hyde only huffed, crossing his arms and tapping his foot impatiently on the railing.

While most of the lodgers just shrugged and looked around awkwardly, one of them rolled his eyes. He made his way to one of the more raised trinkets, tipping it and looking like he was tugging something out from underneath it. But it was suspiciously nothing in his hands.

“Mr. Griffin!” Hyde clapped. “Don’t go and tell me the only human organ you’ve managed to turn invisible is a street performer’s!”

“Hey!” Mr. Griffin patted down something in the shape of a box, eventually grabbing onto some sort of handle. “You wouldn’t believe how much I funded myself as a musical mime, you want a tune or not?”

“Is it horny!?” Hyde yelled out.

“That better mean brassy!” Mr. Griffin yelled back, rotating the invisible handle.

Hyde turned around, grin like a crescent moon. He stared down Robert, dead in the eyes. “ **Perfect.** ” He was ready for a show.

Robert grinned, raising an eyebrow. He was curious as to what Hyde had in store.

Music came slow from the invisible box. A distinctive brassiness accompanied it. Robert wondered how big the box must have actually been with such brass. The song was neither like the classical, fine music of aristocrat parties, or typical street organs Robert knew.

Hyde tapped his foot. He closed his eyes, letting the music wash over him. Robert did the same. It was so much more energized than any music he had heard up to that point. It had this presence, this compulsion that made you just want to-

Leap.

Hyde had exploded into motion, launching upwards into the sky. He jumped across the gap of the stairs leading to Henry’s office, and landed on the railing on the other side. With a quick twirl he spun around the column pole, sliding back across the railing. Hyde smiled, knowing he had done it without breaking a sweat.

Robert’s jaw dropped.

The lodgers cheered Hyde on as he flailed and jumped and radiated energy on top of just the railing. He was kicking his feet out every couple of seconds on the thin bit of wood. He just had to be a daredevil while he showed off.

Robert stared in awe, and shook his head. “What in God’s name are you doing?”

“Dancing!” Hyde dropped, doing a quick splits on the railing before shooting back up. “What else does it look like?”

Robert watched as the ball of energy went to town. “It looks like you’re trying to leap out of your own skin!”

Hyde treated a sliver of space like the world’s largest stage. He grabbed his hat and spun like a top, holding it arms far out with no concern in the world.

“Ex-” Hyde stopped dead in front of Robert. “-actly!” His leg was kicked out high. He dangled his top hat just above his head, and he was leaning precariously over the edge to keep his balance. “That’s why it’s fun!”

Robert didn't know how it could be fun, but he knew why he was focusing on Hyde’s smile the most. He had rarely seen smiles that genuinely energetic.

“Fun?” Robert snickered. “And what happens if you fall?” He took a step closer to the dancing madman.

“Then I’d fall.” Hyde’s eyes were closed as he dramatically slid.

“A full one story drop?” Robert took another step closer.

“Not the first time.” Hyde grinned, slyly winking at the man. “Or the last.”

“Really?” Robert brushed down his own vest, checking his shoes. “Are you sure you’re qualified for dancing? You sound as if you have two left feet.”

“I might as well!” Hyde laughed as he leaped again. “But yes. I’m much more qualified than you or Jekyll at dancing.” He crouched again, seeing Robert eye to eye. His grin told Robert he already knew what was coming.

“We’ll see about that.” Robert rolled his shoulder, patting down the wood of the railing.

While the music was still going, some of the lodgers’ cheers and excitement slowly turned to nervous murmurings as Robert took a big step onto the railing. Several lodgers not at first present had leaked out into the main hall, curious to the commotion, but now also just as silent.

Mr. Griffin noticed it too, instinctively slowing down the music when he noticed what was about to start.

“Hey!” Hyde pointed at the man. “When did I say slow down!?”

Mr. Griffin wiped some sweat off his brow, but got back to turning the invisible organ box.

Robert saw Miss Rachael, eyes wide, quickly dart away from the balcony she popped out of. He shrugged, not minding any fear from his actions.

He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders. Robert stood straight on the small wooden, now stage, and tried to get sucked into the music just as much as Hyde.

“It’s gotta be hard for you to dance without a partner, I imagine.” Hyde sneered.

“Oh, terribly.” Robert smiled. “But I’m always up to the challenge.” He cocked his head. “Is Jekyll screaming for me to get down, by any chance?”

Hyde tapped his forehead, winking. “I can barely hear ya over it.”

Robert nodded. “Good.”

He took another deep breath. He steadied his feet, anticipating his own movement. He looked down at the ground, feeling the height magnify under him.

Just at that time, Rachel had darted out from underneath them, practically towing the towering Creature behind her. Creature only rolled their eyes and stood underneath the two of them, holding out their massive arms in case one of them slipped.

“Aw, you two are no fun.” Hyde huffed, sitting and letting one leg hang over the edge.

“I’ll have to agree, Mr. Hyde.” Robert clicked his tongue. “Quite unfun.”

“Really now?” Hyde rolled over and landed feet first on the landing. “You didn’t strike me as the daredevil type.”

“Oh I’m not.”

Robert’s feet rapidly tapped against the railing. Unlike Hyde’s full body dancing, all of Robert’s energy was channeled into his legs and feet. They tapped and drummed quickly in line with the beat of Mr. Griffin’s song. His upper torso was straight, arms held at his sides. He stuck his tongue out a little, keeping his balance. With a thud both his feet landed squarely on the rail.

Robert bowed to Hyde. “But I will keep up with my dance partner.”

The lodgers cheered at Robert’s success. Hyde’s grin was wild, and he laughed maniacally as he jumped back on the railing opposite to Robert. Hyde’s explosive dancing started back up again with the music, just alongside Robert’s.

Robert wasn’t a fool, he knew he wasn’t nearly as experienced as Hyde was when it came to precarious, thin ledges to perform on. Unlike Hyde, he sweated just a bit as he performed on his own tiny stage. He would prefer to keep his focus on his sense of balance, just in case. Since he perfected his gentleman’s smile, none of the lodgers batted an eye when Hyde jumped back and forth.

“Who managed to teach-,” Hyde leaped again. “-you any dance that wasn’t arms wrapped around someone else, huh?” If ballerinas were unelegant and reckless, Hyde right now would fit that description to a T.

“Hah-,” Robert took a breath. “You shouldn’t be surprised-,” He nodded his head to the beat. “One of my family members was a huge fan of some 1850’s dance-,” He turned around and away from the lodgers, just for that quick moment to face Hyde. “Juba something.” His feet rapped against the wood with perfect precision.

“Never knew you had it in you!” Hyde cackled. He began swinging himself back and forth on the column pole. He looked enthralled to dangle so haphazardly off the edge. “You’re looking a bit tired though, huh?” He continued to move without a care in the world.

“Not a chance!” Robert took deep breaths. Of course Hyde could see through the gentleman’s smile, he was still Henry in a way. “I could go all night, I’ll have you know!” He began to move his arms along with his feet, just a little looser.

“I’d love to see you try!” Hyde laughed.

The two of them danced separately, both just as into their dancing as the other. All the lodgers didn’t know who to root for, or if they were supposed to root for both. They simply kept going, with no signs of stopping.

Mr. Griffin felt embarrassed he was getting kind of tired just rotating the organ handle.

But as energetic as they were talented at dancing, going so wild on railings is still something left for professionals. Hyde certainly managed to catch himself slip a few times with his wild leans and throwing his whole body into it, but Robert was just a tiny bit rusty in this particular dance.

It had happened suddenly, so fast no one knew how to process it. Hyde had leaped back onto Robert’s railing. In a moment’s time one of Robert’s feet slipped. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as his body began to sail out of his control. Creature below him readied his arms for the fall. Still in the motion of landing, Hyde went just as bug-eyed as Robert. His body instinctively shot towards Robert and grabbed him. Robert grabbed back as well. Putting as much force as he could into it, Hyde swung Robert around with the force of a cannon and back onto some footing.

The end result being them both standing on that railing, Robert holding and dipping Hyde down, hands interlocked.

Everyone, even the music, went dead silent. They were too stunned from what could have just happened. Mr. Griffin sat there sweating, hand shaking.

Robert blinked, not quite sure how they managed to get into this position or how they should get out. But then he looked down at Hyde. Hyde, who, seemed shocked silent himself. A genuine moment of stillness for the short, blonde man.

Robert smiled looking down at him. “Edward Hyde?”

Hyde blinked, finally snapping back to reality. “Huh?”

Robert leaned in closer. “May I have this dance?”

Hyde’s devilish grin came back clear as day. “I’d be insulted if you didn’t.”

Robert brought Hyde up, tightening his grip on his body and they both leapt off the railway and onto the stairs. In an instant the music started again, and the lodgers cheered. They started clapping to the beat as Robert and Hyde waltzed wildly down and into the great hall.

They were certainly waltzing, but it’d be straining to say it was like gentlemen. Hyde was too wild to keep to aristocratic slow tempos by a long shot. He energized the waltz, grabbing and lifting Robert up here and there as he laughed.

Robert felt his heart racing as he danced with Hyde. Their feet were blazing, the lodger’s clapping only making it worse as he fell prey to Hyde’s infectious energy. But he wouldn’t be beat, and he poured every last ounce of gentleman he could muster into this dance.

Hyde didn’t look tired, he didn’t even look at his full potential. Robert’s eyes were set on the man with every motion, every tug with their bodies. He wanted that dumb, energetic grin to never go away.

The lodgers began getting so wrapped up in the energy too, that a couple of them began waltzing wildly as well. The energy in the room was absolutely exploding, and at the dead center of it all was Robert and Hyde.

Two lodger hands that grabbed were those of a Miss Rachel’s and a Jasper Kaylock. Jasper’s eyes went wide and his face went scarlet, but Rachel whispered something into his ear. Jasper blinked, clearly unsure, but quickly folded to the power of Rachel’s powerful smile.

Robert and Hyde’s dance was so full of energy that it just couldn’t be contained to one room. Jasper and Rachel nudged the two men at the same time, making their dance pause for only a second. They both motioned to one of the open lodger’s doors.

Robert and Hyde looked at each other, both of them grinned like idiots, and then they immediately danced to the open door.

Robert and Hyde waltzed into Mr. Pennebrygg’s room, filled with his automatrons robots.

Mr. Pennebrygg was busy putting some finishing touches on a robot when his eyes went wide at the sudden intruders. “O-Oi! I was just about to get out there, just lemme-!”

“Hydraulics check!” Hyde detached from Lanyon, grabbing the vaguely human shaped robot and lifting it into the air. He laughed as he swung the figure around.

“What are you-!?” Pennebrygg’s eyes went wider, but Robert quickly grabbed him.

“Oh Hyde, how scandalous!” He passed his time separated from Hyde to waltz with Pennebrygg, who was at least on 17 levels of confusion right now. “Abandoning your dance partner in a moment’s notice?”

“What?” Hyde grinned wide. “Jealous of this doll?” He shook the automaton a little, making Pennebrygg squeak in fear.

“You have to admit, he is made of sterner stuff than me.” Robert smiled, still tugging the man along.

“Guess I can’t argue with that!” Hyde stuck his tongue out at the metal man. “Swap!”

Robert and Hyde tossed Pennebrygg and his automaton back together for their own waltz, and the two resumed their chaotic storm of a dance.

Pennebrygg waltzed for a few seconds with his robot before going limp, not knowing what just blew through his room. Before he knew it the two had already left to the next room over.

The two men just kept dancing, the faint background of the music and clapping from the lodgers in the hall keeping them going. To Robert it didn’t matter if his feet were burning, dancing with Hyde was all that mattered.

They swung through Bird and Archer’s plant filled room, lifting and narrowly avoiding many plants that wouldn’t mind them as a snack.

They charged into Mr. Tweedy’s electrical lab, drenched in energy that made his tesla coils look like static cling.

They ducked, spun, dipped, tipped, twirled, and every move with waltz imaginable through every room they could muster. They danced, danced, danced through all of them.

Robert and Hyde finally began slowing down, but only by a hair. They still waltzed like maniacs, but one could see how their breaths were shortened and their faces were wet with sweat. But of course neither could admit to being tired to the other. They were going to dance or collapse trying.

And collapse they did.

The two of them had waltzed back into the main hall, where plenty of the lodgers were still imitating the energy belonged by the two men. People outside the building could probably hear the commotion inside.

Perhaps both of them could just tell, or maybe it was good timing, but Robert and Hyde both dramatically ramped up how fast they danced in those last few seconds. Spinning so hard they could send the other flying, it was worth it. They were smiling and laughing wildly as everything around them tumbled into a blur.

“Do a lift! Lift me!” Hyde said as the world spun.

Robert did just as he said, lifting the shorter man into the air without a moment’s hesitation. But there’s only so much you can spin while lifting up someone.

Their dance ended with a small trip, and the two men slumped into a wreck on the stairs leading to Henry’s office. They collapsed into a sweaty, exhausted wreck on the marble, wheezing for air.

And before the moment could die down, Robert grabbed Hyde by the collar and pressed his lips against his.

“Haah-, Haah-, Haah-,” Robert gasped, staring Hyde in the face.

Hyde stared back, breathing heavily through his nose.

They were barely able to sit straight, heaving just a bit from how much they both exerted themselves. They looked each other in the eyes, faces inches away from one another.

And they started laughing.

Robert Lanyon and Edward Hyde, both as tired as their worn out shoes, were laughing hysterically on the steps of The Society.

Robert leaned against Hyde, hand covering his face as the laughter poured out of him. Hyde was snickering and giggling like a madman, pitifully trying to push Robert away to no effect. Every couple of seconds when they thought they’d stop laughing, they looked at the other and burst into another fit of giggles.

They both crumpled against one another, laying and finally relaxing. They both looked at the lodgers, now going at a much calmer tempo with one another. Partially for the mood, partially because Mr. Griffin’s arm was killing him.

“Hhah… Hah…Well…then…” Robert gasped. His chest lifted up and down as he breathed. He was putting all of his weight onto Hyde.

“Heehee… G-Guess… You know how to dance-…” Hyde gulped. “-After all…” His arm was under Robert’s body.

“And… Hoo my-.” Robert nodded, regaining his composure. “Did I manage to… Get you a bit more knowledgeable on how a gentleman dances?”

“You sure did, and then some…” Hyde wheeze laughed. “Don’t expect me… ta… ta dance at any of your parties anytime soon, though… ya hear?” He grinned.

“I wouldn’t want you to… even if you asked!” Robert laughed.

They both stared up at The Society’s ceiling, laying on the steps and letting their bodies slowly calm down. The rest of the lodgers happily considered the time a break for all, and kept the energy going for themselves. It was pleasant for the two men.

“Hahh…” Robert breathed out. “Hey, Edward?”

“Y-Yeah?” Hyde turned to him.

“I love you.” He smiled.

Hyde stared at him, biting his lip. His blush wasn’t from exhaustion, that was for sure. “Well, guess I can’t nothing but I love you too, huh?” He grinned. “But don’t go blabbering about it.”

“Oh I’ll make no such promises, oh _Spirit of London at Night_.” Robert beamed.

“Yeah, yeah…” Hyde wiped sweat from his brow.

“And Edward?”

“Hmm?”

Robert tapped his shoulder. “Do be a dear and tell Henry I’m eagerly waiting for a slow dance with him, would you? I love him dearly too.”

Edward Hyde chuckled. He looked up at nothing in particular, speaking as if someone was there “Ya hear that, doc? Twinkle toes here can’t wait takin it slow.”

Henry Jekyll, constantly present in Edward Hyde’s mind, did the closest thing he could do to a silent nod. _…Y-Yes. I heard._

“Lookkit that.” Hyde slurred. “And here I was thinking he’d just be jealous, he’d be as red as a tomato if he wasn’t… whatever we are in the head.”

Robert grunted. “That is why I said it, after all.”

“Yeah…” Hyde’s eyes went droopy.

 _So much for Hyde’s night out, huh?_ Robert hummed, his own body feeling so heavy.

The two men continued to lay there, not quite asleep but not able to stay that awake. The lodgers slowly resumed their research, giving the two men as much privacy as they could laying in a great big hall like that. Eventually the two managed to stagger back into Henry’s office, but one thing was certain:

They couldn’t wait until their next dance lesson together.

**Author's Note:**

> 😷 Guess who wrote this entire thing in less than 24 hours after this week's update!
> 
> This gal!


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